Tragedy has struck Irish action star Liam Neeson once again as a beloved nephew lies critically ill in a hospital, near London, after a fall from the top of a British telephone booth.

Ronan Sexton (31) is the son of Neeson's sister Bernadette.

On Sunday, at 4am, after a night out with friends, in Brighton, he climbed to the top of the telephone booth near Brighton's famous beach and fell, hitting his head.

He was rushed to the hospital in Brighton and was later transferred to another hospital for treatment of head injuries. His condition was described as critical.

Police say they suspect no foul play and that friends were with him when the incident happened.

His nephew's head injury is bound to bring back dreadful memories for the New York-based Neeson, who lost his beautiful wife Natasha Richardson so tragically in March 2009 after a skiing accident in Canada.

Richardson, too, had a serious fall, which proved fatal for the 45-year-old actress.

Bernadette's partner Harry Shannon told the Daily Mail that she was at her son's side in the hospital all day.

He said: 'Bernadette is not in at the moment because she has been at the hospital all day in Haywards Heath visiting Ronan.